Why is Every Brand Using Food in Their Marketing?

Lately, it seems that everywhere you look, brands from Rhode Skin to Jacquemus are creatively blending food into their marketing. It’s a curious phenomenon at first glance—what does a skincare line or a fashion brand have to do with croissants or butter? But there’s more to this strategy than meets the eye, and it’s one of the cleverest ways brands are overcoming the challenges of digital and sensory marketing.

@summerfridays

The Challenge: Making Online Products Tangible

For brands that primarily sell online, like Rhode Skin, there’s a unique challenge: how do you convince people to buy a product they can’t physically test? Unlike brands available in stores like Sephora, where people can touch, smell, and try products in person, these brands must bridge the sensory gap through digital channels. Without this physical interaction, brands need to find creative ways to make their products feel real, relatable, and tempting.

This is where sensory marketing comes into play. Sensory marketing taps into a customer’s senses to evoke emotions and desires that drive them toward a purchase. Food, as it turns out, is a brilliant way to unlock this response. When someone sees a food-related element—like a croissant or butter—it taps into feelings of comfort, nostalgia, and indulgence. It’s about making the viewer think, “I need to try this!”

Food as a Trigger for Emotion and Desire

Brands are using food because it resonates deeply with our senses and emotions. Think of Rhode Skin’s use of buttery croissants and luscious raspberry tones in their marketing. These visuals and descriptors are immediately appealing, associating the product with a luxurious, sensory experience. Customers might think, “I love the feeling of a buttery pastry, and I want my lips to feel the same way.”

@rhode

This technique isn’t only about visuals; it’s about creating an emotional response. Whether it’s the nostalgia of fresh bread or the indulgence of butter, food triggers memories and emotions that make the product feel more alive, inviting customers to imagine how the product will feel, smell, or even taste.

Jacquemus: The King of Food-Driven Sensory Marketing

Few brands have embraced food in their marketing as creatively as Jacquemus. Their fashion shows and campaigns often feature simple, familiar foods that immediately catch the eye. The iconic bread and butter used in one of their fashion show invites is a perfect example—it’s relatable, simple, and evokes a sense of luxury through everyday items. Jacquemus knows that food is a universal language, and they’ve harnessed it to add warmth and whimsy to high fashion.

@jacquemus

From croissant earrings to accessories inspired by fresh fruit, Jacquemus’ approach elevates these items from the mundane to the chic. By using food to communicate their brand’s style, Jacquemus makes high-end fashion feel approachable, while also evoking the sensory pleasure that food naturally brings.

Rhode Skin: Leading the Way in Skincare Marketing

Rhode Skin has also mastered the art of food-inspired marketing. From product names like “Glazing Milk” to buttery lip treatments, the brand uses food-related descriptions to build a sense of indulgence and comfort around their skincare products. Their marketing copy often refers to rich textures and flavors, like the buttery feel of a croissant, to connect customers to a sense of luxury and sensuality.

This strategy is powerful because it goes beyond words—it invites customers into an experience. You can almost feel the soft, glossy texture of the lip treatment or the cooling effect of a product named “Milk.” By leaning into sensory language, Rhode is able to give customers a “taste” of the product, even if they’ve never held it in their hands.

Using food in branding and marketing is a smart, sensory-driven strategy to engage audiences in a memorable way. By drawing on universal tastes, textures, and memories, brands like Jacquemus and Rhode Skin are creating a strong desire in consumers to try their products—even without direct access to them in stores. It’s a trend that’s not only captivating but extremely effective, and it’s clear that food has a unique role in the future of sensory marketing.

As more brands recognize the power of creating sensory, food-based connections with consumers, this trend is likely to continue. So next time you see a product described as “buttery” or “glazed,” you’ll know why—it’s all about sparking that craving, making you think, “I need to experience this.”